Container with synthetic resin window, preform, and preform injection molding apparatus

ABSTRACT

To solve a problem associated with formation of a transparent window portion in a biaxially stretch blow molded container by a nozzle structure of an injection molding apparatus, provided is a biaxially stretch blow molded container formed with a clearly transparent window portion in longitudinal strip shape by effectively preventing mixture of colored resin to window portion. Injection molding apparatus includes in nozzle portion a longitudinal groove flow path, wherein a transparent B resin flows. By, for example, reducing and increasing, respectively, the width and depth of the longitudinal groove flow path on the downstream side, and engraving slits in an inner mandrel and even in a front end portion of a stopper pin, flowability of the B resin in a horizontal direction is enhanced.

This is a Divisional Application of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/646,785filed May 22, 2015, which is a 371 of international applicationPCT/JP2013/082299, Filed Nov. 30, 2013, which claims priority to foreignapplication No. JP 2012-263131, filed Nov. 30, 2012 in Japan. Thedisclosure of the prior applications is hereby incorporate by referenceherein in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to a biaxially stretch blow molded syntheticresin container including a translucent or semi-translucent windowportion through which an amount of a remaining content may be identifiedfrom an outside, a test-tube-shaped preform that is a precursor of thecontainer, and an injection molding apparatus used for molding thepreform.

BACKGROUND

Conventionally, blow molded containers made of synthetic resins arewidely used in applications such as beverages, foods, detergents,cosmetics, and chemicals. Such a container often conceals the contentfor the purpose, for example, of protecting the content againstultraviolet rays and improving appearance and design quality.

Examples of ways of concealing the content from an outside view includesopaquing the container itself with a colored resin, opaquing an outersurface of the container by painting, and applying an overcoat of ashrink film, which is opaque or with opaque printing on a surfacethereof, onto the outer surface of the container.

However, concealing the content from the outside view as such poses aproblem that the amount of the remaining content may not be identifiedfrom the outside, and this leads to inconvenience and anxiety in use.Another problem arising when filling the content again for use is thattoo much content might be added to cause it to overspill due toinvisibility of how much content is filled.

One possible way to overcome the aforementioned problems is to form awindow portion, by masking a part of a container which is transparent orsemi-transparent (hereinafter, collectively referred to as transparent)and painting the container and by peeling the masking after thepainting. In a case of the shrink film, such a window portion may beformed by leaving a portion of the shrink film unprinted and transparentto allow the amount of the remaining content to be identified from theoutside.

Furthermore, as described in Patent Literature 1, a blow moldedcontainer produced by blow molding an extrusion molded cylindricalparison, that is to say, by direct blow molding, may be relativelyeasily formed with a transparent window portion in a longitudinal stripshape after the blow molding, by coloring, during the extrusion moldingof the parison, a majority of the parison to make the parison opaquewhile flowing an uncolored transparent resin into a portion of acylindrical flow path formed in a dice used for the extrusion molding.

CITATION LIST Patent Literature

PTL 1: JP2005153901A

SUMMARY

As described above, the container produced by the direct blow moldingmay be formed with a transparent window portion in the longitudinalstrip shape relatively easily.

On the other hand, a biaxially stretch blow molded container made ofpolyethylene terephthalate (hereinafter, abbreviated as PET) that isformed by biaxially stretch blow molding an injection molded preformfaces problems such as mixture of a colored resin into a portion of sucha transparent window portion and deterioration in the transparency, evenwhen a transparent window portion in the longitudinal strip shape isdesired to be formed in the container.

This disclosure has been conceived to solve the aforementioned problemsassociated with the formation of a window portion in the biaxiallystretch blow molded container by a nozzle structure of an injectionmolding apparatus. It could be helpful to provide a biaxially stretchblow molded container that is formed with a clearly transparent windowportion in the longitudinal strip shape by effectively preventing themixture of the colored resin.

This disclosure relates to the biaxially stretch blow molded syntheticresin container with a window, the test-tube-shaped preform which is theprecursor of the container, and the injection molding apparatus used formolding the preform. For convenience of description, a description isgiven below of the injection molding apparatus, the preform, and thecontainer with a window, in the stated order.

Firstly, one aspect of this disclosure resides in an injection moldingapparatus that injection molds a test-tube-shaped preform that issubjected to biaxial stretch blow molding, the preform including acircumferential wall having a longitudinal strip-shaped portion that ismade of a B resin and that is formed in a longitudinal strip shape in acircumferentially predetermined position in the circumferential wallover a predetermined height range, a remaining portion of thecircumferential wall excluding the longitudinal strip-shaped portionbeing made of an A resin.

The injection molding apparatus includes:

a nozzle portion that supplies the A resin and the B resin which aremolten along a circumferential direction; and a mold that is located ina front end of the nozzle portion.

The nozzle portion includes:

a cylindrical inner mandrel; an outer mandrel that is arranged coaxiallywith the inner mandrel; and a columnar shut-off pin that is inserted andarranged in the inner mandrel and that serves to release and shut offflows of the molten resins in a front end portion of the nozzle portion.

Between the inner mandrel and the outer mandrel, a cylindrical flow pathand a reduced-diameter flow path are formed in the stated order in adirection toward a downstream side, the reduced-diameter flow path beingconfigured by a cylindrical flow path tapered to have a reduced diametertoward downstream, and on downstream of the reduced-diameter flow path,a columnar joining flow path is formed in which the molten resins incylindrical forms join into a columnar form, and a longitudinal grooveflow path is further formed to interrupt the cylindrical flow path andthe reduced-diameter flow path in a circumferential direction,

the longitudinal groove flow path has a flow path width that is reducedon a downstream side below a predetermined position than on an upperstream side thereof and a flow path depth that is increased on thedownstream side below the predetermined position than on the upperstream side thereof, and

the molten B resin is supplied to the longitudinal groove flow path, andthe molten A resin is supplied to the cylindrical flow path excludingthe longitudinal groove flow path, and the molten resins that havejoined into the columnar form are injected and filled into a cavity ofthe mold via the joining flow path of the nozzle portion and a pin gatelocated in a position of the cavity of the mold that corresponds to amiddle of a bottom wall of a bottom portion of the preform.

In the above regard, assume that, similarly to the dice used in thedirect blow molding of the parison as described above, merely thecylindrical flow path is arranged in the nozzle portion included in theinjection molding apparatus and that the B resin is caused to flow in alongitudinal strip shape in a portion of the A resin to flow the A resinand the B resin along the circumferential direction into a cylindricalform.

However, in the case of the injection molding of the test-tube-shapedparison, the cylindrically formed molten resins do not remain in thecylindrical forms but are joined into a columnar form in the front endof the nozzle portion, and the joined molten resins in the columnar formare injected and flowed to be filled into the test-tube-shapedcylindrical cavity via the pin gate.

In the sectional plan view, the cylindrically joined and formed parisonwhich is used in the direct blow molding includes the A resin in anannular form and the B resin that completely interrupts the A resin inthe radial direction.

On the other hand, in the sectional plan view, the molten resins joinedand formed in the columnar form in the front end portion of the nozzleportion as described above include the A resin in the columnar form andthe B resin that is laminated in the columnar A resin, in the form of aslit extending from a peripheral edge portion to a center position ofthe columnar A resin.

Accordingly, upon the joining, the A resin and the B resin collide witheach other in the vicinity of a center position of the columnar flowpath. At this collision time, the A resin might push the B resin to aperipheral direction and prevent the B resin from being laminated to thecenter position of the columnar flow path.

In this situation, even when a window portion in the longitudinal stripshape is desired to be formed in the circumferential wall of thecontainer by using a transparent resin as the B resin, various problemsarise, such as the mixture of the colored resin into a portion of thetransparent window portion, for example, a portion of the transparentwindow portion that is located on an inner circumferential surface side,and the deterioration in transparency in the portion of the windowportion as described above.

On the other hand, when the B resin is laminated in the form of a slitextending beyond the center position of the columnar flow path, eventhough the transparent B resin might mix into the inner circumferentialsurface side of the circumferential wall made of the colored A resin,the transparent B resin is covered by the colored A resin, andtherefore, appearance properties will not be deteriorated.

The structure of the injection molding apparatus according to the aboveaspect has been conceived based on a result of analysis of a phenomenonof how the B resin is laminated in the form of a slit in the A resin inthe columnar flow path in which the resins have been joined from thecylindrical form into the columnar form.

The basic technical idea resides in that the flow path of the B resin inthe nozzle portion is designed to allow the B resin, being joined intothe columnar form in the front end portion of the nozzle portion, to belaminated in the columnar flow path, in the form of a slit extendingsufficiently to reach at least the center position in the direction fromthe peripheral edge to the center position, and even in the form of aslit extending from the peripheral edge to and beyond the centerposition in consideration of variation in the position in which the Bresin is laminated due to a slight variance in conditions of theinjection molding and in consideration of possible fluctuations in flowbehavior of the molten resins injected from the pin gate.

According to the injection molding apparatus with the above structure,preferably, the structure of the nozzle portion provides the followingadvantageous effects.

Firstly, by forming the longitudinal groove flow path to interrupt thecylindrical flow path and the reduced-diameter flow path in thecircumferential direction, segmentation between the A resin and the Bresin is clarified in the circumferential direction.

Secondly, by reducing and increasing, respectively, the flow path widthand the flow path depth of the longitudinal groove flow path on thedownstream side below the predetermined position than on the upperstream side thereof, a decrease in pressure of the B resin flowing inthe longitudinal groove flow path is prevented, and the flow of the Bresin is directed further to the horizontal direction, that is to say,to a central axis of the nozzle portion.

As a result, upon the joining in the front end portion of the nozzleportion, the B resin provides force to push the A resin toward aperipheral direction in the vicinity of the center position of thecolumnar flow path. Accordingly, the B resin is laminated in the form ofa slit extending sufficiently to reach at least the center position, andeven beyond the center position.

Additionally, in the above structure, the A resin and the B resin areused for convenience of differentiation of the two resins. The A resinand the B resin may be differentiated in terms of the kinds of thesynthetic resins or may be the same kind of two synthetic resins thatare differentiated in terms of whether the synthetic resins are coloredor uncolored.

For example, to form the longitudinal strip-shaped transparent windowportion in the container, the same two synthetic resins, one for the Aresin that is colored to make it opaque and the other one for the Bresin that is left uncolored and transparent, may be used.

Furthermore, in the description of the above structure and in thedescription below, terms, e.g., the longitudinal groove flow path,implying directions such as the longitudinal and horizontal directionsare used for convenience. Herein, the longitudinal direction correspondsto the central axis direction of the nozzle portion, and the horizontaldirection corresponds to the direction that is perpendicular to thecentral axis direction.

Moreover, although the above structure includes, as the structuralrequirements, the “longitudinal groove flow path having a flow pathwidth that is reduced on a downstream side below a predeterminedposition (in a predetermined range) than on an upper stream side thereofand a flow path depth that is increased on the downstream side below thepredetermined position than on the upper stream side thereof”, the flowpath width and the flow path depth do not necessarily need to berespectively reduced and increased in the same predetermined range, andthe flow path width and the flow path depth may be respectively reducedand increased in different ranges as appropriate.

Another aspect of this disclosure resides in the injection moldingapparatus according to the above aspect, wherein, in the cylindricalflow path and the reduced-diameter flow path, a pair of guiding ribs inthe form of longitudinal ridges is arranged in line to partition thecylindrical flow path and the reduced-diameter flow path in thecircumferential direction, and the longitudinal groove flow path isformed between the pair of guiding ribs.

The above structure is specifically designed to form the longitudinalgroove flow path interrupting the cylindrical flow path and thereduced-diameter flow path in the circumferential direction, and such astructure may be formed by leaving portions of the inner mandrelunprocessed when cutting the inner mandrel to form the flow paths.

Yet another aspect of this disclosure resides in the injection moldingapparatus according to the above aspect, wherein the longitudinal grooveflow path has a flow path width that is reduced from a position of alower end portion of the cylindrical flow path.

With the above structure, the flow path width of the longitudinal grooveflow path is reduced before the longitudinal groove flow path reachesthe reduced-diameter flow path. As a result, the pressure of the flow ofthe B resin along the taper in the reduced-diameter flow path isincreased, and flowability of the B resin in the horizontal direction isenhanced. This further ensures that the B resin may be laminated in theform of a slit extending sufficiently to reach at least the centerposition in the columnar flow path, and even in the form of a slitextending beyond the center position.

Yet another aspect of this disclosure resides in the injection moldingapparatus according to the above aspect, wherein the inner mandrelforming the reduced-diameter flow path is engraved with a slit having aninclination angle that is greater than an inclination angle that thetapered reduced-diameter flow path forms with respect to a central axisof the nozzle portion, in order to increase a flow path depth of thelongitudinal groove flow path.

With the above structure, flowability of the B resin in the horizontaldirection is further enhanced, and this further ensures that the B resinmay be laminated in the form of a slit extending sufficiently to reachat least the center position in the columnar flow path, and even in theform of a slit extending beyond the center position.

Yet another aspect of this disclosure resides in the injection moldingapparatus according to the above aspect, wherein, in a release positionof the shut-off pin, the slit engraved in the inner mandrel is furtherextended into the shut-off pin to engrave a slit in a portion of theshut-off pin that is located from a circumferential wall to a front endsurface thereof, the slit having the same inclination angle as the slitengraved in the inner mandrel.

Yet another aspect of this disclosure resides in the injection moldingapparatus according to the above aspect, wherein, in the front endsurface of the shut-off pin, the slit is engraved from a peripheral edgetoward a center and beyond a center position of the front end surface.

According to the above two structures, the slit forming the longitudinalflow path is extended from the inner mandrel into the shut-off pin, andthis further ensures that the B resin may be stably laminated in theform of a slit extending sufficiently to reach at least the centerposition in the columnar flow path, and even in the form of a slitextending beyond the center position.

Secondly, a description is given of a structure of the preform accordingto this disclosure. The preform with a structure such as the followingmay be molded by the injection molding apparatus described above.

One aspect of this disclosure resides in an injection moldedtest-tube-shaped preform that is subjected to biaxial stretch blowmolding.

The preform includes a circumferential wall including a longitudinalstrip-shaped portion that is made of a transparent or a semi-transparentresin and that is formed in a longitudinal strip shape in acircumferentially predetermined position in the circumferential wallover a predetermined height range.

The aforementioned injection molding apparatus is capable of providingthe preform in which the clear longitudinal strip-shaped portion, whichis made of the transparent B resin, is formed to interrupt thecircumferential wall, which is generally made of the opaque A resin, inthe circumferential direction, by effectively preventing the mixture ofthe A resin to the longitudinal strip-shaped portion.

Additionally, the aforementioned injection molding apparatus may beconfigured to form the longitudinal strip-shaped portion over an entireheight range of the preform. However, by, for example, shutting off andstarting the supply of the B resin to the longitudinal groove flow pathat appropriate timing by arranging a check valve or other means on theupstream side, the longitudinal strip-shaped portion may also be formedover a predetermined height range of the preform excluding, for example,the mouth tubular portion.

Another aspect of this disclosure resides in the preform according tothe above aspect, further including a bottom portion, wherein thelongitudinal strip-shaped portion is formed over an entire height rangemeasured from a bottom wall of the bottom portion. Such a preform inwhich the clear longitudinal strip-shaped portion made of a transparentresin is formed over the entire height range would be difficult toachieve conventionally.

Yet another aspect of this disclosure resides in the preform accordingto the above aspect, wherein, in the bottom wall of the bottom portion,the longitudinal strip-shaped portion is arranged from a peripheral edgetoward a center and beyond a center position of the bottom wall. Apreform with such a structure would be difficult to achieveconventionally.

Thirdly, a description is given of the biaxially stretch blow moldedsynthetic resin container with a window according to this disclosure.The container with a structure such as the following may be molded bybiaxially stretch blow molding the preform described above.

One aspect of this disclosure resides in a synthetic resin containerwith a window that is produced by biaxially stretch blow molding atest-tube-shaped preform, the synthetic resin container with a windowincluding a circumferential wall including a longitudinal strip-shapedportion that is made of a transparent or a semi-transparent resin andthat is formed in a longitudinal strip shape in a circumferentiallypredetermined position in the circumferential wall over a predeterminedheight range, the longitudinal strip-shaped portion serving as a windowportion.

The container with a window with the above structure may be produced bybiaxially stretch blow molding the aforementioned preform in which theclear longitudinal strip-shaped portion, which is made of thetransparent B resin, is formed by effectively preventing the mixture ofthe opaque A resin to the longitudinal strip-shaped portion.Accordingly, a container formed with the clearly transparent windowportion in the longitudinal strip shape is achieved.

Another aspect of this disclosure resides in the container with a windowaccording to the above aspect, further including a bottom portion,wherein the longitudinal strip-shaped portion is formed over an entireheight range measured from a bottom wall of the bottom portion. Such abiaxially stretch blow molded container with a window in which the clearlongitudinal strip-shaped portion made of the transparent resin isformed over the entire height range would be difficult to achieveconventionally.

Of course, the longitudinal strip-shaped portion does not necessarilyneed to be formed over the entire height range as described above andmay be formed over a predetermined height range determined in advance inaccordance with the intended use.

Yet another aspect of this disclosure resides in the container with awindow according to the above aspect, wherein, in the bottom wall of thebottom portion, the longitudinal strip-shaped portion is arranged from aperipheral edge toward a center and beyond a center position of thebottom wall. A biaxially stretch blow molded container formed with sucha structure could not be achieved conventionally.

In the above regard, although the longitudinal strip-shaped ispreferably arranged beyond the center position of the bottom wall asdescribed above, the extent of the longitudinal strip-shaped may alsoreach at most the center position or to reach the vicinity of the centerposition.

With the above structures, the injection molding apparatus, the preform,and the container with a window according to this disclosure provide thefollowing advantageous effects.

The injection molding apparatus is capable of forming the longitudinalgroove flow path, in which the B resin in the nozzle portion flows, in ashape that enhances flowability of the B resin in the horizontaldirection, by, for example, reducing and increasing, respectively, thewidth and depth of the longitudinal groove flow path on the downstreamside, and engraving the slits in the inner mandrel and even in the frontend portion of the stopper pin. As a result, it is ensured that the Bresin may be laminated in the form of a slit extending sufficiently toreach at least the center position in the columnar flow path, and evenin the form of a slit extending beyond the center position.

The injection molding apparatus is also capable of injection molding thetest-tube-shaped preform in which the clear longitudinal strip-shapedportion, which is made of the transparent B resin, is formed tointerrupt the circumferential wall, which is generally made of theopaque A resin, in the circumferential direction, by effectivelypreventing the mixture of the A resin to the longitudinal strip-shapedportion.

Furthermore, biaxial stretch blow molding of the above preform providesthe container with a window including the longitudinal strip-shapedclearly transparent window portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a container with a windowaccording to one embodiment;

FIG. 2A is a sectional plan view taken along a line A-A in FIG. 1,

FIG. 2B is a bottom view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a preform according to one embodiment;

FIG. 4A is a sectional plan view of the preform taken along a line B-Bin FIG. 3,

FIG. 4B is a bottom view of the preform illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view taken along a line C-Cin

FIG. 6, illustrating a part of an injection molding apparatus accordingto one embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the injection molding apparatus illustrated inFIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a part of thevicinity of a nozzle portion of the injection molding apparatusillustrated in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of an inner mandrel and a shut-off pinillustrated in FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a developed view of an outer circumferential surface of aninner mandrel;

FIG. 10A is a sectional plan view taken along a line N1-N1 in FIG. 7;

FIG. 10B is a sectional plan view taken along a line N2-N2 in FIG. 7;

FIG. 10C is a sectional plan view taken along a line N3-N3 in FIG. 7;

FIG. 10D is a sectional plan view taken along a line N4-N4 in FIG. 7,each of which illustrates a laminated state of an A resin and a B resinin the nozzle portion;

FIG. 10E is a sectional view of a comparative example in which the Aresin pushes the B resin toward the peripheral portion and prevents atip of the slit-shaped B resin Rb portion from reaching the centerposition Cx;

FIG. 11A is an overall perspective view of a container with a windowaccording to another embodiment;

FIG. 11B is a bottom view of the container of FIG. 11A;

FIG. 12A is an overall perspective view of a preform according toanother embodiment; and

FIG. 12B is a bottom view of the preform of FIG. 12A.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

-   1 mold-   2 cavity-   3 pin gate-   11 nozzle portion-   12 a introduction path (of A resin)-   12 b introduction path (of B resin)-   13 a supply start position (of A resin)-   13 b supply start position (of B resin)-   14 manifold-   15 cylindrical flow path-   16 reduced-diameter flow path-   17 longitudinal groove flow path-   19 joining flow path-   20 shut-off pin-   20 s slit-   21 inner mandrel-   21 s slit-   21 g guiding rib-   21 r eccentricity prevention rib-   22 outer mandrel-   101 preform-   102 mouth tubular portion-   103 neck ring-   105 trunk portion-   106 bottom portion-   107 gate mark-   112 longitudinal strip-shaped portion-   201 container-   202 mouth tubular portion-   203 neck ring-   204 shoulder portion-   205 trunk portion-   206 bottom portion-   212 longitudinal strip-shaped portion-   212 w window portion-   An1, An2 inclination angle-   Ax central axis-   Cx center position-   Hab parallel region-   Hc cylindrical region-   Ht tapered region-   Ra A resin-   Rb B resin-   Sa resin supply unit (of A resin)-   Sb resin supply unit (of B resin)-   W1, W2 flow path width

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A biaxially stretch blow molded synthetic resin container with a window,a preform, and an injection molding device according to embodiments willbe described below with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate one embodiment of the container with a window.FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of the container, FIG. 2A is asectional plan view taken along a line A-A in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is abottom view of FIG. 1.

A container 201 is made of a PET resin and has a bottle shape formed bybiaxial stretch blow molding. The container 201 includes a mouth tubularportion 202, a shoulder portion 204 having a tapered tubular shape, atrunk portion 205 having a cylindrical shape, and a bottom portion 206.The mouth tubular portion 202 is provided on a circumference thereofwith a neck ring 203.

The container 201 is formed with the A resin Ra, which is obtained bycoloring a PET resin opaque white, and the B resin Rb, which is anuncolored PET resin. Substantially the entire container 201 is made ofthe opaque A resin Ra, and a longitudinal strip-shaped portion 212,which is made of the transparent B resin Rb, is located in acircumferentially predetermined position in a circumferential wall ofthe container 201 over the entire height range measured from un upperend of the mouth tubular portion 202 to a bottom wall of the bottomportion 206. The longitudinal strip-shaped portion 212 is utilized as awindow portion 212 w through which an inside of the container 201 isvisible and through which the amount of a remaining content isidentified.

In the sectional plan view as illustrated in FIG. 2A, substantially theentire circumferential wall is made of the A resin Ra, and thelongitudinal strip-shaped portion 212 made of the B resin Ra islaminated in the form of a slit along the circumferential direction insuch a manner as to interrupt the A resin Ra portion.

The longitudinal strip-shaped portion 212 has a horizontal width thatvaries according to respective stretch (draw) ratios of portions in thehorizontal direction.

With reference to a bottom view in FIG. 2B, as illustrated in thefigure, in the bottom wall of the bottom portion 206, the longitudinalstrip-shaped portion 212 extends from a peripheral edge to a centerposition Cx, and further to a position beyond the center position Cx.

The longitudinal strip-shaped portion 212 also has a fan shape arisingfrom an increased width from the center position to the peripheral edgeas a result of the biaxial stretch blow molding.

Next, FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a preform according to one embodiment. Apreform 101 is a precursor of the container 201 according to the aboveembodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view, FIG. 4A is a sectional planview taken along a line B-B in FIG. 3, and FIG. 4B is a bottom view ofFIG. 3.

The preform 101 is made of a PET resin and has a test tubular shapeformed by injection molding. The preform 101 includes a mouth tubularportion 102, a trunk portion 105 having a cylindrical shape, and abottom portion 106. The mouth tubular portion 102 is provided on acircumference thereof with a neck ring 103.

The preform 101 is formed with the A resin Ra, which is obtained bycoloring the PET resin opaque white, and the B resin Rb, which is theuncolored PET resin. Substantially the entire preform 101 is made of theopaque A resin Ra, and a longitudinal strip-shaped portion 112, which ismade of the transparent B resin Rb, is formed in a circumferentiallypredetermined position in a circumferential wall of the preform 101 overthe entire height range measured from un upper end of the mouth tubularportion 102 to a bottom wall of the bottom portion 106.

In the sectional plan view as illustrated in FIG. 4A, substantially theentire circumferential wall is made of the A resin Ra, and thelongitudinal strip-shaped portion 112 made of the B resin Ra islaminated in the form of a slit along the circumferential direction insuch a manner as to interrupt the A resin Ra portion.

With reference to a bottom view in FIG. 4B, as illustrated in thefigure, in the bottom wall of the bottom portion 106, the longitudinalstrip-shaped portion 112 extends from a peripheral edge to the centerposition Cx, and further to a position beyond the center position Cx.There is also a gate mark 107 located in a middle of the bottom wall.

Next, FIGS. 5 to 9 illustrate an injection molding apparatus accordingto one embodiment. The injection molding apparatus is used for injectionmolding the preform 101 according to the above embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along a line C-C in FIG.6, FIG. 6 is a plan view, FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of apart of the vicinity of a nozzle portion 11 illustrated in FIG. 5, FIG.8 is a bottom view of an inner mandrel and a shut-off pin illustrated inFIG. 5, and FIG. 9 is a developed view of an outer circumferentialsurface of an inner mandrel 21 illustrated in FIG. 5.

The injection molding apparatus includes resin supply units Sa and Sbthat supply the A resin and the B resin in their molten states, a nozzleportion 11 that laminates these resins in the circumferential direction,and a mold 1 that shapes the preform.

A basic structure of the nozzle portion 11 includes the cylindricalinner mandrel 21 and an outer mandrel 22 that are coaxially arranged,and a columnar shut-off pin 20 that is inserted and arranged in theinner mandrel 21 in a manner such that the shut-off pin 20 may slidablymove forward and backward. The shut-off pin 20 serves to release andshut off flows of the molten resins in a front end portion of the nozzleportion 11.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, the inner mandrel 21 and the outer mandrel 22each include a cylindrical region Hc and a tapered region Ht. In thetapered region Ht, a tapered surface forms an inclination angle An1 of30° with respect to a central axis Ax of the nozzle portion 11.

Between the inner mandrel 21 and the outer mandrel 22, a cylindricalflow path 15 is formed in the cylindrical region Hc, and areduced-diameter flow path 16 is formed in communication with thecylindrical flow path 15 in the tapered region. The reduced-diameterflow path 16 is configured by a cylindrical flow path tapered to have areduced diameter toward downstream. Furthermore, the reduced-diameterflow path 16 has a front end that is formed with a columnar joining flowpath 19 in which the molten resins in cylindrical forms join into acolumnar form.

There is also formed a longitudinal groove flow path 17 having alongitudinal strip shape that extends to interrupt the cylindrical flowpath 15 and the reduced-diameter flow path 16 in the circumferentialdirection.

As illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, in order to increase a flow path depthof the longitudinal groove flow path 17 in the tapered region Ht, a slit21 s is engraved in a manner such that the tapered surface of the innermandrel 21 forms an inclination angle An2 of 45° with respect to thecentral axis Ax of the nozzle portion 11. The slit 21 s is furtherextended into the shut-off pin 20 to form a slit 20 s in a portion ofthe shut-off pin 20 that is located from a circumferential wall to afront end surface thereof beyond a center Cx of the front end surface.

The flow paths described above are formed by cutting the outercircumferential surface of the inner mandrel 21.

FIG. 9 is a developed view of the outer circumferential surface of theinner mandrel 21 in the cylindrical region Hc. In the figure, acircumferential position in which the longitudinal groove flow path 17is formed is defined as 0°, and regions with different depths of thecutting are filled differently to clarify the differences.

In the figure, a region that is left white indicates a region where thecutting does not occur, that is to say, an unprocessed region which isin internal contact with an inner circumferential surface of the outermandrel 22.

A blotted region indicates a region where the flow path having a flowpath depth of 1 mm is formed. A crosshatched region indicates a flowpath, i.e., a manifold, that is circumferentially formed in the form ofa slant groove to distribute the A resin across the cylindrical flowpath, and the depth of this flow path is 1.5 mm in a position of 90°where the A rein is supplied and the depth gradually changes to 1 mmalong the circumferential direction.

The figure also illustrates an eccentricity prevention rib 21 r locatedin three positions of 90°, −90°, and 180° (refer also to FIG. 8). Theeccentricity prevention rib 21 r serves to prevent eccentricity betweenthe inner mandrel 21 and the outer mandrel 22.

As illustrated in FIG. 9, the longitudinal groove flow path 17 has aflow path width that is reduced on a downstream side than on an upperstream side thereof. In the present embodiment, the flow path width W1on the upstream side is set 2 mm, and the flow path width W2 on thedownstream side is set 0.5 mm, and the flow path width W2 is alsomaintained in the tapered region Ht.

Furthermore, as illustrated in FIG. 9, in a parallel region Hab, thelongitudinal groove flow path 17, in which the B resin flows, and thecylindrical flow path 15, in which the A resin flows, are lined up. Inthe parallel region Hab, portions of the inner mandrel 21 are leftunprocessed to form a pair of guiding ribs 21 g and 21 g in the form oflongitudinal ridges arranged in line, thereby partitioning thecylindrical flow path 15, in which the A resin flows, in thecircumferential direction. The guide ribs 21 g and 21 g also extend inthe tapered region Ht (refer to FIG. 8).

To sum up the shapes of the flow paths, the cylindrical flow path 15 andthe reduced-diameter flow path 16, in which the A resin flows, each havea flow path depth of 1 mm. The longitudinal groove flow path 17, inwhich the resin B flows, has the flow path width that is reduced in thevicinity of a lower end portion of the cylindrical region Hc, and theflow path width is 2 mm on the upstream side and is 0.5 mm on thedownstream side. The longitudinal groove flow path 17 has a flow pathdepth of 1 mm in the cylindrical region Hc and also has a graduallyincreased flow path depth downward of the cylindrical region Hc due tothe presence of the slit 20 s and the slit 21 s described above.

In the following, a description is given of molding processes of thepreform 101 illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 using the injection moldingapparatus (refer to FIGS. 5 to 9).

Firstly, the A resin, which is obtained by coloring the PET resin white,is supplied from the resin supply unit Sa to an A resin introductionpath 12 a and caused to flow into the cylindrical flow path 15 via asupply start position 13 a and the manifold 14. On the other hand, the Bresin, which is the uncolored PET resin, is supplied from the resinsupply unit Sb to a B resin introduction path 12 b and caused to flow tothe longitudinal groove flow path 17 via a supply start position 13 b.

The supply start position 13 b of the B resin is located furtherupstream of the supply start position of the A resin.

As the resin supply units Sa and Sb, various devices, such as a screwextruder or an accumulator including a plunger attached to a front endof an extruder, may be used.

The molten A resin is shaped into a cylindrical form by the cylindricalflow path 15, and the molten B resin flows across the longitudinalgroove flow path 17 to interrupt the A resin portion shaped in thecylindrical form in the circumferential direction. However, in theregion where the A resin and the B resin flow in parallel, the flow pathof the A resin portion is partitioned by the pair of guiding ribs 21 gand 21 g in the circumferential direction, and therefore, the A resin isprevented from mixing with the B resin in the flow path.

After passing through the reduced-diameter flow path 16, the moltenresins, including the A resin and the B resin formed in reduced-diametercylindrical forms, join in the front end of the reduced-diameter flowpath 16 and pass through the columnar joining flow path 19 to be shapedinto a columnar form.

Thus obtained columnar molten resins including the A resin and the Bresin that is laminated into the A resin in the form of a slit areinjected and filled into a cavity 2 via a pin gate 3 located in aposition of the cavity 2 of the mold 1 that corresponds to the middle ofthe bottom portion of the preform (refer to FIG. 5).

FIG. 10 schematically illustrates changes in the plane sectional shapesof the molten resins from the upstream side to the downstream side ofthe nozzle portion 11 illustrated in FIG. 7. FIG. 10A is a sectionalplan view taken along a line N1-N1 in FIG. 7, FIG. 10B is a sectionalplan view taken along a line N2-N2 in FIG. 7, FIG. 10C is a sectionalplan view taken along a line N3-N3 in FIG. 7, and FIG. 10D is asectional plan view taken along a line N4-N4 in FIG. 7. FIG. 10A is thesectional plan view in the cylindrical flow path 15, in which thelongitudinal groove flow path 17 has a flow path width of 0.5 mm. FIG.10B is the sectional plan view in a middle height position in thereduced-diameter flow path 16, and FIG. 10C is the sectional plan viewin the front end position of the reduced-diameter flow path 16, and FIG.10D is the sectional plan view of the columnar form shaped in thejoining flow path 19.

FIGS. 10E and 10D are sectional views of comparative examples.

As can be seen from FIGS. 10A to 10D, while the molten resins in theplane sectional shapes are in a ring form (as in FIGS. 10A to 10C), theB resin Rb remains laminated in the form of a slit to interrupt thering-shaped A resin Ra in the circumferential direction. Eventually,however, the B resin Rb is shaped into a columnar form in the joiningflow path 19.

Upon such joining, the A resin and the B resin collide with each otherin the vicinity of a center position of the columnar flow path. At thiscollision time, the A resin sometimes pushes the B resin to a directionof the peripheral portion and prevents a tip of the slit-shaped B resinRb portion from reaching the center position Cx as illustrated in FIG.10E.

When the molten resins in the state as illustrated in FIG. 10E areinjected and filled into the cavity 2 via the pin gate 3 of the mold 1to inject mold the preform 1 illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the A resin,which is colored white, mixes into a portion of the longitudinalstrip-shaped portion 112, which is made of the transparent B resin Rb,for example, a portion of the longitudinal strip-shaped portion 112 thatis located on an inner circumferential surface side. Accordingly, whenthe preform 1 is biaxially stretch blow molded into the container 1 witha window as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, various problems of defectssuch as a portion of the window portion 112 w being colored white and aborder between the window portion 212 w and the adjacent whitecircumferential wall being unclear. As a result, usability of thecontainer 1 as a product is ruined.

In view of the above, the injection molding apparatus of the presentembodiment is mainly characterized by the nozzle portion 11, preferably,the flow path shape of the longitudinal groove flow path 17, having thefollowing structures (1) to (4).

(1) In the region where the A resin and the B resin flow in parallel,the pair of guiding ribs 21 g and 21 g in the form of longitudinalridges ensures that the cylindrical flow path in which the A resin flowsis partitioned in the circumferential direction.

(2) The shape of longitudinal groove flow path 17 has a flow path widththat is reduced (to ¼ in the present embodiment) on the downstream sidein order to prevent a decrease in pressure of the B resin.

(3) The inner mandrel 21, which is tapered to have a reduced diameter toform the reduced-diameter flow path 16, is engraved with the slit 21 shaving the inclination angle An2 that is greater than the inclinationangle An1 of the reduced-diameter flow path 16 in order to increase theflow path depth of the longitudinal groove flow path 17.

(4) The slit 21 s is further extended to form the slit 20 s in theshut-off pin 20 in order to extend the longitudinal groove flow path 17to the front end surface of the shut-off pin 20.

The structural requirements of the flow path shape of the longitudinalgroove flow path 17 described in (1) to (4) provide an advantageouseffect of enhancing flowability of the B resin in the horizontaldirection, and ultimately, allowing the B resin Rb portion to belaminated in the form of a slit extending sufficiently to reach thecenter position Cx, or even in the form of a slit extending beyond thecenter position Cx, in the columnar joining flow path 19 of the nozzleportion 11 as illustrated in the sectional view of FIG. 10D.

The above structural requirements also prevent the A resin, which iscolored white, from mixing into a portion of the longitudinalstrip-shaped portion 112, which is made of the transparent B resin Rb,during the molding of the preform.

Furthermore, biaxial stretch blow molding of the preform provides thecontainer 201 with a window including the longitudinal strip-shapedclearly transparent window portion 212 w as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and2.

Additionally, when, as illustrated in FIG. 10D, the B resin Rb portionin the form of a slit extends beyond the center position Cx, injectionmolding of the preform 1 illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 might result inmixture of the transparent B resin into the inner circumferentialsurface side of the circumferential wall made of the opaque white Aresin in a region that is located axisymmetrical to the longitudinalstrip-shaped portion 112. In this situation, however, the transparent Bresin will be covered by the opaque white A resin, and therefore, anappearance problem does not occur.

Although the synthetic resin container with a window, the preform, andthe injection molding apparatus of the preform according to theembodiments have been described above, this disclosure is not limited tothese embodiments.

For example, although in the above embodiments the container is a roundbottle made of a PET resin, any other synthetic resin such as apolypropylene resin that may be subjected to biaxial stretch blowmolding may be used. Furthermore, the shape of the container may be anyother shape such as a square.

Moreover, as the resin material of the window portion 212 w, a coloredtransparent resin may also be used.

The shape of the longitudinal groove flow path 17 of the nozzle portion11 is described to have the structures (1) to (4) in the presentembodiments. However, the flow path may be determined as appropriate inconsideration of melt viscosity or the like of the resin used, if onlythe flow path width is reduced and the flow path depth is increased in apredetermined range on the downstream side compared with those on theupstream side.

Moreover, in the above embodiment of the container with a window (referto FIGS. 1 and 2), the window portion 212 w formed in the trunk portion205 has a straight shape having a constant width over the entire heightrange. However, depending on the shape of the longitudinal groove flowpath 17 and the injection pressure of the B resin, as illustrated inFIG. 12, for example, the preform 101 including the strip-shaped portion112 whose width is increased downward in a lower end portion of thetrunk portion 105 may be molded. By biaxially stretch blow molding sucha preform 101, as in the container 201 with a window illustrated in FIG.11, the width of the window portion 212 w may be increased downward inthe lower end portion of the trunk portion 205.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The container with a window that is produced by biaxially stretch blowmolding the preform molded by the injection molding apparatus accordingto this disclosure includes a longitudinal strip-shaped clearlytransparent window portion that is conventionally considered difficultto form, and such a container is expected to be used in a wide range ofapplications.

The invention claimed is:
 1. An injection molded test-tube-shapedpreform that is subjected to biaxial stretch blow molding, the preformcomprising a circumferential wall including a longitudinal strip-shapedportion that is made of a transparent or a semi-transparent resin andthat is formed in a longitudinal strip shape in a circumferentiallypredetermined position in the circumferential wall over a predeterminedheight range, wherein the preform includes a mouth tubular portion, atrunk portion having a cylindrical shape, and a bottom portion, andwherein the longitudinal strip-shaped portion is formed over an entireheight range measured from a bottom wall of the bottom portion to anupper end of the mouth tubular portion.
 2. The preform of claim 1,wherein in the bottom wall of the bottom portion, the longitudinalstrip-shaped portion is arranged from a peripheral edge toward a centerand beyond a center position of the bottom wall, and wherein a terminalportion of the longitudinal strip-shaped portion is placed between theperipheral edge of the bottom wall and the center position of the bottomwall.